Birthday Cake Pancakes

Birthday Cake Pancakes

40 min
12 pancakes

Ingredients

  • 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (480ml) buttermilk*
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract*
  • 1/2 cup (85g) rainbow sprinkles (not nonpareils)*
  • for cooking: butter or nonstick spray
  • 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1–2 Tablespoons milk
  • for serving: whipped cream and more rainbow sprinkles

Directions

  1. 1

    Melt the 6 Tablespoons of butter first. Microwave or stovetop—either is fine. Set aside to slightly cool. You do not want it piping hot.

  2. 2

    In a large bowl preferably with a pour spout, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

  3. 3

    In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and almond extract together until combined, and then whisk in the cooled melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Make sure there are no patches of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. The batter is thick and a few lumps are fine.

  4. 4

    Let the batter sit for 5 minutes as you heat the stove in the next step. This gives the batter a chance to thicken. You will fold in the sprinkles right before cooking.

  5. 5

    Meanwhile, heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Once it’s hot, fold the sprinkles into the batter.

  6. 6

    Drop/pour a heaping 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look set and you notice holes in the pancake’s surface around the border, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until cooked through, about 1–2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet with butter or nonstick spray again, if needed, for each batch of pancakes.

  7. 7

    Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200°F (93°C) oven until all pancakes are cooked.

  8. 8

    Make the icing: Whisk the icing ingredients together and pour over pancakes before serving. Feel free to add whipped cream and more sprinkles on top, too.

  9. 9

    Serve pancakes immediately. Cover and store leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.